---
type: docs
title: "Kafka binding spec"
linkTitle: "Kafka"
description: "Detailed documentation on the Kafka binding component"
aliases:
  - "/operations/components/setup-bindings/supported-bindings/kafka/"
---

## Component format

To setup Kafka binding create a component of type `bindings.kafka`. See [this guide]({{< ref "howto-bindings.md#1-create-a-binding" >}}) on how to create and apply a binding configuration.


```yaml
apiVersion: dapr.io/v1alpha1
kind: Component
metadata:
  name: <NAME>
  namespace: <NAMESPACE>
spec:
  type: bindings.kafka
  version: v1
  metadata:
  - name: topics # Optional. in use for input bindings
    value: topic1,topic2
  - name: brokers
    value: localhost:9092,localhost:9093
  - name: consumerGroup
    value: group1
  - name: publishTopic # Optional. in use for output bindings
    value: topic3
  - name: authRequired # Required. default: "true"
    value: "false"
  - name: saslUsername # Optional.
    value: "user"
  - name: saslPassword # Optional.
    value: "password"
  - name: maxMessageBytes # Optional.
    value: 1024
```

{{% alert title="Warning" color="warning" %}}
The above example uses secrets as plain strings. It is recommended to use a secret store for the secrets as described [here]({{< ref component-secrets.md >}}).
{{% /alert %}}
## Spec metadata fields

| Field              | Required | Binding support |  Details | Example |
|--------------------|:--------:|------------|-----|---------|
| topics | N | Input | A comma separated string of topics | `"mytopic1,topic2"` |
| brokers | Y | Input/Output | A comma separated string of kafka brokers | `"localhost:9092,localhost:9093"` |
| consumerGroup | N | Input | A kafka consumer group to listen on | `"group1"` |
| publishTopic | Y | Output | The topic to publish to | `"mytopic"` |
| authRequired | Y | Input/Output | Determines whether to use SASL authentication or not. Defaults to `"true"` | `"true"`, `"false"` |
| saslUsername | N | Input/Output | The SASL username for authentication. Only used if `authRequired` is set to - `"true"` | `"user"` |
| saslPassword | N | Input/Output | The SASL password for authentication. Only used if `authRequired` is set to - `"true"` | `"password"` |
| maxMessageBytes | N | Input/Output | The maximum size allowed for a single Kafka message. Defaults to 1024 | `2048` |


## Binding support

This component supports both **input and output** binding interfaces.

This component supports **output binding** with the following operations:

- `create`

## Specifying a partition key

When invoking the Kafka binding, its possible to provide an optional partition key by using the `metadata` section in the request body.

The field name is `partitionKey`.

Example:

```shell
curl -X POST http://localhost:3500/v1.0/bindings/myKafka \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
        "data": {
          "message": "Hi"
        },
        "metadata": {
          "partitionKey": "key1"
        },
        "operation": "create"
      }'
```


## Related links

- [Basic schema for a Dapr component]({{< ref component-schema >}})
- [Bindings building block]({{< ref bindings >}})
- [How-To: Trigger application with input binding]({{< ref howto-triggers.md >}})
- [How-To: Use bindings to interface with external resources]({{< ref howto-bindings.md >}})
- [Bindings API reference]({{< ref bindings_api.md >}})